University News

Office of Public Safety Seeking Tier I Accreditation

December 6, 2018

MACOMB, IL -- A team from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP), administered through the Illinois Chiefs of Police, will be on the Western Illinois University campus in February to conduct an onsite assessment of Western's Office of Public Safety (OPS) as part of department's application for Tier I accreditation.

Tier I accreditation requires the department to meet 69 separate ILEAP standards regarding administration, operations, personnel and training, which are designed to follow best practices in policing. As part of the accreditation process two ILEAP assessors will be on campus to review OPS policies and procedures, inspect facilities and speak with OPS personnel. In addition, feedback is sought from members of the public regarding the Office of Public Safety's services to the University.

"This feedback is an important part of the accreditation process and provides valuable information on how the department provides service to the community, and how the department may better serve the needs of the community going forward," noted Scott Harris, OPS director.

Additional information regarding the site visit and public comment will be released after the first of the year.

Western's Office of Public Safety started as Campus Safety and Security in 1956, replacing the security guard era. The department, currently led by Director Harris, employs 24 fulltime officers and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week from Mowbray Hall on the WIU campus. In addition to routine patrol, OPS dispatches officers to the street on foot and bicycles, as well as in the residence halls nightly. Officers also perform such duties transporting money from campus buildings to local banks; providing security to athletic events and concerts; providing traffic control; providing transportation to the hospital; conducting building safety checks; hosting educational and safety-related programming; and supervising student patrol and emergency medical services on campus.